Sometimes lectionary preachers struggle when situations present themselves in parish life. A congregational member dies, two lives are joined in marriage, a contentious social justice issue demands attention, or a public event like 9/11 shakes us to the core. Although lectionary and worship allow us to deepen our appreciation for the Bible and the themes and emphases of the Christian calendar, they sometimes fail to allow preachers to speak the gospel directly to the situations that occupy their congregations. This book is designed to help pastors and seminarians discover resources they already have to unpack situations and understand them theologically in light of their task of preaching the gospel.
